CHRISTIAN IDIOT  XIX - 

KISS OF PEACE

My wife and I have come to visit our daughter in this town. We were pleased to worship with them in their church. I was impressed by the grandeur of the church, the music, and the sermon.

However, I was disappointed by the way the pastor shared the peace with the congregation. He stood behind the altar table, threw his hands up in the air, and said, “The peace of God be with you all,” as if he were releasing a white dove signifying peace into the sky. He then said, in a lower voice to pass on ‘the peace’ to the next person.

I eagerly turned to the gentleman standing next to me, with great anticipation. He was very busy sharing smiles, greetings, and peace, with his family and friends but he did not turn towards me. I slowly looked at the people behind me. Many of them were simply standing like dolls in a display case. I had the feeling that the peace of God which the pastor had released at the altar had not reached many members of the congregation.

It is very different in our village church. There, the pastor invites two elders of the church, a man and a woman, to come to the altar. He clasps both their hands in his own and whispers, “The peace of God be with you!” He then sends them into the congregation. They, in turn, hold the hands of the first person in each pew and greet them with the words of peace. The peace is then passed from one person to another until it reaches the entire pew. Even the children who cannot participate in Holy Communion joyfully take part in this sharing of peace.

The peace flowing from the altar is like water flowing through a channel—from the altar to the very end of the church, touching every person, row by row, and blessing them with the peace that binds them together.

When we returned home, I asked my son-in-law the one question that had been gnawing at me all morning: “Which of the two ministers is right—our village pastor or the vicar of the town church?” He quickly referred to the CSI Book of Common Worship and said, “Uncle, this book, on page 2, clearly explains the purpose, biblical background, evidence from church history, and the detailed method of giving Samadhana Vandanam, or the Kiss of Peace. According to these guidelines, your village practice seems to be the right way to do it.” He then added, “But you see, Uncle, it will take a long time to practice it that way.”

I almost blurted out, “I saw people going to all corners of the church to collect the offering, and the congregation was asked to sing more than one hymn until the last offering bag reached the altar. Can’t they do the same to distribute peace?” But I held my tongue.

My village church offers the sublime peace and tranquility of worship, together with the simple joy of fellowship among the people of God. I am an idiot to expect to find the same in the big town churches. Do you think these educated people will listen to a villager like me?